Manage Money By Living From Heaven Backwards

This article is provided by Jason Price at One Money Design. Jason is a Money Map Coach and has a personal finance blog that is all about managing money wisely for everyday living. He believes there is financial hope for people. He has a passion to see people prosper, become debt free, and experience financial freedom.

No matter the stage of life you’re in today, you’ve probably said to yourself,

“If only I would have known about (fill in the blank) 10 years ago my life would be different today.”

I think we’ve all said or thought that at one time or another. For many of us it’s about money and the decisions we’ve made managing it. In today’s economy we might often hear people say,

“if only I would have known to build emergency savings as a top priority when I finished school, I might not be accumulating so much debt today because of my job loss”.

Sure, sometimes it’s not about money. Sometimes, we talk about family and relationships and the lack of time spent with them, wishing things could be different today.

I heard a pastor once speak about his visits to a local hospital to encourage people with terminal illnesses. It’s interesting to know that no one he spoke or prayed with talked about their career accomplishments, cars, or other possessions in their final days. Instead, he said they always talk about their faith in God, family and relationships as the most important areas in their lives.

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Most Christians would agree that faith in God and our relationship with Him is the top priority in life. Putting God first positions us to have a blessed marriage and other relationships because they are based on His solid foundation.

And so by putting God first, we can better understand the importance of living our lives from a Heaven backwards perspective (sometimes referred to as living with an eternal perspective). Of course it’s not easy to consistently live with this perspective on life, but it’s what we have to strive for as Christians to keep our priorities straight.

Living From A Heaven Backwards Perspective

Imagine if all of the sudden peoples’ decisions with money management were from a Heaven backwards perspective. People would certainly make different choices with how they make, spend, save and give it. They could begin to see money as a delicate blessing which we are all to manage wisely for prosperity as well as for the good of others.

Managing money from heaven backwards requires doing a few things that might cause some to raise a brow or advise against, but essential to live from this perspective.

Consider the below Manage Money from Heaven backwards Checklist to see what perspective you’re using to manage your money:

Do you recognize God as the owner of all things and you are the manager of what has been entrusted to your care?

Do you spend wisely by having a spending plan every month?

Do you strive to live debt free? This includes spending money based on what one can afford (according to your plan) versus the amount of credit which may be available.

Do you give of your first fruits by tithing? Ultimately, it’s God’s money and through this action, you are trusting in God with your financial prosperity, i.e., there is no more a reason to “get rich” because God is in control.

Do you give back to others by sharing success stories and helping people know what it means to manage money from Heaven backwards?

If you can only say yes to 3 you may need to consider seeking counsel from other Christians or a financial counselor to identify specific action steps for your situation.

Many may define financial freedom as becoming debt free or getting into a position to where there is no more dependence on income from a job. However, the act of managing money from Heaven backwards is financial freedom.

What are some other ways we can manage money from Heaven backwards? Consider providing your input to add to this checklist. Leave us a note in the comments!

Today's Bible Verse on money comes from 1 Timothy: "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish…

Last Edited: 5th August 2009 The content of biblemoneymatters.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to biblemoneymatters.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

I like that phrase “Heaven Backwards” – Great post. It’s amazing when we start living that way how the “stuff” of this world seem to lose importance and we focus on the larger, grander, kingdom things. It’s a struggle, but I think one that is well worth it. Thanks for the post!Jason @ Redeeming Riches´s last blog ..Should You Give Money to a Homeless Person?

I enjoyed writing this post and thank you for your comments. Special thanks to Peter here at Bible Money Matters for this guest post opportunity.Jason @ One Money Design´s last blog ..Guest Post at Bible Money Matters

I love being in the place where we can give real dollars ……………….to someone close in our lives who is in desperate need through little fault of their own.

We never ever expect to have our gift returned because that is one of the stipulations of our giving. But that option isn’t forever cemented in stone if people would really desire to return the favour.

I love helping others practically but as I age and have had ‘Care Issues’ with aged Parents this has had to drop off dramatically.

Tithing is pretty hard to adhere to when partner believes we are doing enough for the church already. I therefore, try and give bits & pieces irregularly to make up the amount which belongs first & foremost to God.

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